Jesse Under Pressure
by jublke
Summary: Jesse learns that Danny's compulsive, over-protective streak has a plus side when a medical problem is caught early.
1. Chapter 1

Ever notice how Jesse Katsopolis frequently changes styles of eyeglasses? There's a reason he visits the eye doctor so often ...

Set in the first season of the TV show, sometime before "Knock Yourself Out." This story directly follows my piece, "Jesse Gets Framed."

This is a work of fan-fiction, written by a fan for other fans. Jeff Franklin created the characters of _Full House_ and Warner Brothers Television Distribution currently owns the rights to the series. No copyright infringement is intended. No money was made from this story.

My thanks to Cerm for beta-reading.

* * *

Danny Tanner had just finished rocking his daughter Michelle back to sleep. He placed her into her crib and started to tiptoe down the hall to his room when he noticed that Jesse's light was still on.

With a frown - it was one-thirty in the morning - he poked his head into his brother-in-law's room. "Lights out, young man," he said, in an attempt to make a joke. He expected to see Jesse cradling his guitar, up to his ears in sheet music. Instead, the man in question was sitting up in bed, wearing sweats and a T-shirt, medical pamphlets of eyeballs scattered in an arc around him.

Jesse startled as Danny entered, the bags under his eyes magnified by his reading glasses. At the sight of the older man, he snatched up the pamphlets and tucked them under the blankets of his bed.

"What are you doing?"

Jesse faked a smile. "Trying out my new reading glasses." As his voice cracked over the words, Danny realized that Jesse's hands were trembling too.

He frowned and walked over to the younger man. "Jess, what's wrong?"

Jesse looked down at his hands, which he was now twisting together nervously. "Danny, I should probably tell you something. Earlier, when I said ..." He broke off, stood up, and started pacing. "When I told you things went fine at the eye doctor..." Jesse shook his head and gave Danny an imploring look, as if he wished Danny could simply read his mind.

Danny reached out for his brother-in-law. "Are you all right?" He placed a strong hand on Jesse's shoulder. For once, the younger man didn't flinch or resist physical contact.

"Yeah," he said, nodding. "At least, I'm gonna be fine, thanks to you." Jesse swallowed hard. "You know, I wouldn't have gone to the eye doctor today if you hadn't forced me to. You made them squeeze in my appointment and then you drove me over there! I was so mad at you for treating me like a kid ..." He pulled away from Danny and sat down on the bed. "But you were right. It was important." He took off his glasses and set them on the nightstand. "And not just because I can see to read now," he added with a grim smile.

He started to get up again, but Danny pushed him gently back down on the bed and sat beside him. "What did the eye doctor say?"

Jesse put a hand to his mouth and shook his head. When he spoke, his words were muffled. "My eye pressure was high the first time they read it. Both eyes. It was lower the second time, but they want me to come back to do more tests. To make sure my optic nerves aren't damaged." Jesse ventured a look at Danny and the men traded worried glances.

"They're checking you for glaucoma, right?" Danny asked.

Jesse nodded and turned away, his mouth set in a grim line. "I didn't know anything about it before today. The eye doc gave me a bunch of stuff to read. Most of the time, it's easy to treat if it's caught early ..." He shook his head. "But usually there's no symptoms until you start losing your vision. I've been playing Russian roulette with my eyes and I didn't even know it." He looked at Danny. "I owe you one, man."

Danny hugged his brother-in-law tightly. "Why didn't you say something earlier?"

Jesse shrugged. "No point in bothering you about something that might never happen."

Danny stared at him. "Jesse. It's okay to talk about things that are worrying you."

The younger man pulled away. "What's the point? It's not like you can do anything to fix it." He stood up again and resumed pacing. "I would've told you eventually when I went back to the eye doctor." He shrugged. "My problem, not yours."

"Jesse, I'm not Nick." Danny's voice was firm as he stood to face his brother-in-law. "I don't expect you to come up with a solution to your problems before I'll listen to you. If you're upset about something, tell me. I'm not going to think less of you."

Joey poked his head into Jesse's room. He was wearing a Winnie-the-Pooh nightshirt with a stocking cap shaped like a pot of honey. "Is everything okay up here? I thought I heard voices."

Both men froze. Danny, standing near the dresser, retied the belt of his robe and gave Jesse a hard look. Jesse caught his gaze, held it, and dropped his eyes. Danny sighed. "Things are fine, Joey," he said, without conviction.

An uncomfortable silence fell over the room.

Finally, Jesse took a deep breath and walked over to Joey. "Danny's covering for me. And not very well, I might add." At Jesse's glare, Danny shrugged and sat down on the bed, leaving Jesse and Joey to face each other.

"Are things all right, Jesse?"

"They will be, once you get rid of that ridiculous hat," Jesse snapped, stripping the man of his honey pot and throwing it on the bed.

"Jesse," Danny chided.

"What's going on?" Joey asked.

Jesse folded his arms and stared at Joey's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle slippers. "Nothing. I'm fine," he said. He walked back toward the bed and sat down.

Danny and Joey exchanged a knowing glance, one that would have infuriated Jesse had he been alert enough to pick up on it.

Joey picked up one of the flyers that had slipped out from under Jesse's blankets. "Then why are you looking at brochures with giant eyeballs on them?"

Jesse snatched the flyer back. "Look, I don't want to talk about it right now, okay?"

Hands up, Joey replied, "Touchy, touchy."

Danny shot him a warning look and shook his head. "We'll leave you alone, Jess," he said. "Come on, Joey." He threw an arm over his friend's shoulder and walked him toward Jesse's bedroom door.

"Wait." Jesse's voice emerged small from the bed. "Don't go yet." Both men turned to face him, but Jesse spoke directly to Joey. "I got some bad news at the eye doctor today. They want to run more tests. I might have glaucoma."

"Oh, Jess."

Joey reached out to hug him, but Jesse resisted, holding up a hand in protest. "Please, no more hugs. And I don't want to talk about this any more tonight."

Danny nodded. "We'll let you get some sleep, Jesse," he said, and he and Joey resumed walking out the door.

"Wait!" Jesse's voice was more insistent this time. Both men turned again. "I ... I don't want to be alone right now." As soon as he said the words, Jesse's eyes dropped to the carpet.

Joey snapped his fingers. "I've got an idea! There's a Stooges marathon on cable."

Danny smiled. "I'll make the popcorn." He turned to the dark-haired man with the mullet, who was still sitting on his bed. "You coming, Jess?" he asked.

"In a minute."

When the men were out of his room, Jesse reached into the nightstand and pulled out a thick, well-worn photo album. Opening the book to the middle, he smiled sadly and spoke to one picture in particular. "Thanks for keeping an eye on me, Sis. You were right. Danny's a keeper. And his pal Joey isn't an idiot like I thought. He's just as nice as you said." He closed the book and placed the album back on the nightstand. Grabbing Joey's hat, he walked out of the room to rejoin his family.


	2. Chapter 2

My thanks to Garlic19 for the encouragement. This chapter's for you. :)

* * *

"Jesse, we need to leave," Danny called from the kitchen.

DJ walked down the back stairs, backpack in hand. Jesse followed close at her heels, wearing grey jeans and a T-shirt instead of his usual work coveralls. He looked tense, and Danny put a hand on Jesse's shoulder the minute his boots hit the kitchen tile.

DJ watched this interplay with a curious expression. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"Post office," Danny said, at the same time Jesse replied, "Grocery store." DJ looked from her father to her uncle in surprise. "Post office and then the grocery store," Jesse clarified, with an awkward smile and a shrug. DJ frowned.

Joey looked up from the table where he was feeding Michelle. She was sitting in her high chair, dunking Cheerios in a bowl of applesauce. As Joey wiped her hands clean, he said, "Don't forget your eye appointment's today, Jesse." Danny and Jesse shook their heads and made "stop" gestures at him behind DJ's back, but it was too late.

"Uncle Jesse just went to the eye doctor," she said, turning back to her father and uncle in confusion.

"Deej, uh, you really should have some breakfast." Danny steered her toward the toaster. "The bus is almost here." He handed her a toaster waffle. "Eat this." He walked toward the back stairs and leaned on the bannister, shouting, "Stephanie, honey, you're going to miss the bus."

"Uncle Jesse?" DJ stared at her uncle, holding the uneaten waffle in one hand and her backpack in the other. Jesse crossed his arms and looked at his boots.

At that moment, Stephanie burst into the kitchen, clad in a fluffy, sparkly yellow dress. "I was having the best dream," she said. "I got to dance on Broadway!" She clicked her heels in a short dance routine.

The sound of honking could be heard from the street.

"That's great, kid." Jesse moved quickly toward the refrigerator. "But you're about to miss your bus." He handed her a pink Jetsons lunchbox, her backpack, and a waffle as he pushed her toward the living room. "Have a good day," he called after her.

When Jesse went to hand DJ her Barbie lunchbox, she locked eyes with him. "What's going on?" she asked.

He broke eye contact first. "Nothing," he said, with a wave of his hand. "Just some ... stuff."

"Then why did Dad take the day off?"

Danny walked briskly over to Jesse, took the lunchbox from his hands, and shoved it into his oldest daughter's arms. "DJ," he said sternly, "I don't have time to drive you to school today. Get out there before you miss the bus!"

"Okay," she grumbled as she walked toward the front door.

Stephanie was waiting for her on the porch. Seeing her sister's expression, she asked, "Is something wrong, DJ? You look upset."

The school bus driver honked again. DJ grabbed Stephanie's hand and ran down the steps. She waited until they were safely aboard the bus before she answered. "Something's wrong with Uncle Jesse."

"How do you know?"

"He has to go back to the eye doctor. He and Dad didn't want me to know. They were acting all weird about it." She lowered her voice. "I think it's something serious."

Stephanie frowned.

"And I'm going to find out what it is." DJ looked at her sister. "You have to promise me you won't say anything. I'm going to search Uncle Jesse's room after school."

"Can I help?"

"No, I need you to be the lookout. Do we have a deal?"

"Deal." The girls shook hands.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the encouragement, Amanda! This chapter is for you. :) My thanks also to Intinerent Cryptographer and Cerm for beta reading this section.

* * *

Danny sat on the edge of his seat in the doctor's private office, tapping his foot as he looked at the man's power wall of diplomas and awards. "Where is Dr. Greene?" he asked for the third time.

Jesse, who had just undergone an extensive exam for glaucoma, shook his head. Since his eyes were still dilated, he wore dark sunglasses. His arms and legs were crossed in a knot and his frown was so deep that it was almost a scowl.

Twenty minutes later, the doctor finally entered the room and shook hands with Jesse and Danny. "Your visual field test was normal and there is no evidence of optic nerve damage." Dr. Greene dropped Jesse's file on his desk and sat down in his plush office chair opposite the two men.

"So, I don't have glaucoma then." Jesse exhaled, relaxed his posture, and shared a smile with Danny. "That's great! I guess we're done here." He stood up.

The doctor regarded Jesse with a frown. "One out of ten patients with ocular hypertension like yours develops visual field loss within ten years."

Jesse's smile evaporated and he slowly sat back down. "What does that mean?"

Dr. Greene leaned forward in his chair. "It means that you need to come back regularly for follow-up appointments, Mr. Katsopolis. You're what we refer to as a glaucoma suspect. Your corneas are somewhat thin and your eye pressure readings are consistently above normal." The doctor caught Jesse's wandering gaze and held it. "You are at risk of developing glaucoma. The earlier we catch it, the less damage it will cause. I want to see you back here in three months for a follow-up exam. If your eye pressure hasn't increased during that time and we don't observe any adverse changes to your optic nerves, we can stretch out the time between visits. You need to treat this seriously."

"So, you're saying that I'll definitely get glaucoma, you just don't know when?" Jesse recrossed his arms and frowned at the doctor.

"Not at all. Some people with elevated eye pressure never develop glaucoma. But ocular hypertension is a risk factor and yours is high enough to warrant careful monitoring, particularly in your left eye."

Jesse cast an anxious glance at Danny, who put a comforting hand on his arm. "Is there anything he can do to prevent it?" Danny asked.

The doctor looked at Jesse. "Not much. It's largely a genetic disease. If you smoke, I suggest that you quit. Weight lifting and playing a wind instrument can increase your risk." Danny and Jesse traded surprised looks. "Some studies indicate that upping your intake of omega-3 fatty acids has a protective effect." The doctor shrugged. "Can't hurt. Maintaining a healthy diet and exercise regimen is a good idea anyway."

* * *

"You really need to talk to Irene and Nick about this."

Jesse shrugged and picked at his food. They were sitting in a booth in a dilapidated diner across the street from the eye clinic.

"There's a genetic link to glaucoma, Jesse," Danny continued. "They need to know."

Jesse stopped twirling his spaghetti and stared at Danny. "Of course," he said, shaking his head sadly. He dropped the fork, pushed away the half-eaten plate of food, and folded his arms. "You're right."

Danny pressed him further. "Didn't one of your grandmothers lose her vision?"

Jesse swallowed hard and stared at a point on the wall just past Danny's head. "Mom's mother," he said quietly. He flicked a glance at the man seated opposite him and threw his arms wide before dropping them in a defeated gesture. "I'll call my mom tonight."

Danny nodded. "You should talk to DJ, too," he said, gathering his butter plate and utensils and stacking them neatly on top of his empty dinner plate.

"DJ?" Jesse took a sip of coffee and stared at his brother-in-law. "What's DJ got to do with anything?"

"She picked up that something was wrong this morning, Jesse. She doesn't give up that easily."

Jesse shrugged and looked away. "I'm not telling her. She doesn't need to know everything, Danny. She's just a kid."

"She's a kid who lost her mother," Danny said. His voice was rough enough to draw Jesse's focus back to the table. "She worries about things." He stared at his stack of dishes.

Jesse sighed. "If she asks," he conceded.

Danny rewarded him with a slight smile. "The person we really need to call right now is Joey. He's probably worried sick since we've been gone all day. I should have called him when your appointment got pushed back. I had no idea it would take so long." Danny walked to the public phone booth in the lobby of the diner and dialed home.

* * *

Note: I am not a doctor, nor do I have glaucoma. The medical information in this scene was cobbled together using Medscape Reference and CNIB. (I'd include the links but the Doc Manager keeps eating them.)

If you notice any factual errors (or canon errors), please drop me a line in the comments. Thanks for reading.


	4. Chapter 4

My thanks to Cerm for beta-reading.

* * *

The phone rang - and rang - in the Tanner household.

"I'm coming. Hold your horses." DJ and Stephanie peeped around the doorframe as Joey left Michelle's room and thudded down the stairs. Distantly, they heard him answer, "Hello?"

"Now's our chance," DJ whispered. The girls tiptoed out of their shared bedroom and into their uncle's room. Stephanie was shadowing DJ's exact movements until DJ whipped around and glared at her. "Stay by the door! You're the lookout, remember? You have to tell me if Joey's coming. Remember our secret code."

Stephanie stood by the door with her hand to her head, as if in a permanent salute, while DJ crept around Jesse's room and reached under his bed. She pulled out a pair of gold and black leopard print underwear.

"Eww!" both girls said.

DJ felt beneath the bed again. An old fried chicken leg, an Elvis wig, and a magazine entitled _Haircare Tips for Today's Modern Woman_ soon followed.

"He's as bad as Joey!" Stephanie exclaimed.

"Shhh! Keep your eyes on the hall, not me!" DJ hissed. Frowning, she shoved the junk back under the bed and looked around the room. She peeked in the closet, felt under the mattress (found the _Playboy_ and put it back), and finally inspected Jesse's nightstand.

Her fingers had just detected a small pamphlet when Stephanie cried, "Chickens or something!" DJ glared at her and she shrugged. "I forgot what to say. Joey's coming!"

"Joey is here," the man said, poking his head into Jesse's room. DJ shoved the brochure into her jeans' pocket before Joey could catch her with it. "What are you girls doing in Jesse's room? You know you're not allowed in here without permission."

"Sorry. I thought I left my guitar sheet music in here," DJ lied smoothly. Stephanie nodded, a huge, artificial smile on her face. "I wanted to practice," DJ added.

"Uh huh," said Stephanie, still fake-smiling.

Joey gave Stephanie a curious look before turning to DJ. "That's great, Deej. I know your uncle will be glad to hear that you've finally shown some interest in practicing. But you still shouldn't be in his room without permission."

"You are so right, Joey. What was I thinking? C'mon, Steph," DJ grabbed her sister by the hand and led her back to their room. "We should get started on our homework."

"But I don't have -" Stephanie started to say, but DJ clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Great idea," Joey agreed. "Just be sure to keep quiet up here. Your sister is taking a late nap. I'm going down to start dinner." In his very best Elmer Fudd voice, he added, "Be vewy, vewy quiet! I'm hunting wabbits."

"Okay," DJ said, pulling Stephanie into their room. Once the girls' bedroom door was shut, she pulled out the wadded paper from her pocket and examined it more closely. Abruptly, she crumpled to the floor and started to cry.

"What's wrong?" Stephanie said, alarmed. She sat down next to her sister.

"I know what's wrong with Uncle Jesse." DJ said, fighting back tears. She handed the wrinkled paper to her sister. "He's going blind."


	5. Chapter 5

My thanks to Cerm and Itinerant Cryptographer for beta reading. I own nothing except the stewp, which actually belongs to my husband. Unfortunately. :P

I appreciate the encouragement from flcomputergeek and fanfictionluver1800. Hope you like the ending. :)

* * *

Danny and Jesse walked in the front door, Jesse still in dark sunglasses. Both men looked weary. Joey met them in the living room wearing an apron. "Hey, you're finally back," he said, slapping Jesse on the shoulder. "Seriously, man, I was worried. I'm glad you're all right."

Jesse shrugged away from his hug. "What's for dinner, Joseph?" He went to the kitchen and Danny and Joey followed.

"How can you possibly be hungry, Jesse?" Danny ribbed him. "We just left the restaurant."

Waving his hands, Jesse made a dismissive gesture. "That diner food was terrible."

"And Joey's isn't?" Danny said.

"How dare you insult the Iron Chef!" Joey roared in a Japanese accent, karate-chopping Danny on the arm with a wooden spoon. Danny grabbed it from Joey and smacked him on the shoulder. Before he could retaliate, Jesse grabbed the handle and dropped the spoon back into the pot on the stove.

"Joey, where are the girls?" Danny asked.

The comedian feigned surprise. "I didn't think you were ready to date yet, Danny, but now that you mention it ..."

"No," Danny said with a chuckle. "The other girls." He walked over to the back bannister. "Stephanie! DJ! Come on down. It's almost time for dinner." Danny set the table while Joey stirred the stock pot.

Peering into the pot, Jesse wrinkled his nose. "What -is- that?"

"Stewp," Joey answered. "A cross between stew and soup."

Jesse made a gagging sound as Danny laughed. "I told you. Bet that diner food is looking pretty good right about now, isn't it?"

Jesse shook his head and walked up the back stairs. "I'll get Michelle."

As he ascended the stairs, DJ and Stephanie walked into the kitchen from the living room. Both children looked miserable. "Girls, are you all right?" Danny asked, placing a hand on each of his daughters' shoulders.

DJ nodded as she looked up at him, her face flushed, her eyes red. "Where's Uncle Jesse?" she asked. Her voice was raspy.

"Right here," Jesse answered, coming back down the stairs with a sleepy Michelle on his hip.

"Uncle Jesse!" Stephanie cried. She ran over to him and threw her arms around his waist. "I love you so much," she babbled, looking up at him and waving a hand in front of his sunglasses. Jesse stared at her. "No matter what," she finished, burying her face in his shirt.

Perplexed, Jesse handed Michelle to Joey. "Steph?" He shook the girl by the shoulders and tried to move her, but she wouldn't look up or let go. Jesse glanced at Danny, shook his head, and shrugged.

"DJ?" Danny asked. "What's going on? Did something bad happen?" He knelt down and pulled her into his arms. He stroked her face, pushing her hair out of her eyes. "Why were you girls crying?"

DJ shook her head. "It's nothing, Dad. We were just ... uh ... watching an after-school special. It was really sad." She looked at her feet. Danny stood up and locked eyes with Joey and then Jesse, worry and doubt clouding his features.

Jesse squeezed Stephanie's shoulders. "This doesn't look like nothing. Now, out with it."

Both girls remained silent. Joey put Michelle in her high chair and walked over to them. "This wouldn't have anything to do with me finding you in Jesse's room this afternoon, would it?"

DJ scraped the floor with the toe of her sneaker. She didn't answer.

"Donna Jo Tanner! You know you're not allowed in your uncle's room without permission!" Danny scolded. "Why were you in there?

"Because you wouldn't tell me anything!" DJ blurted out. She broke away from Danny's side and looked at each of her caregivers in turn. "You all lied to me. It's just like when Mom was dying. Nobody told me anything. When something bad happens, you all pretend like everything is fine. I knew something was wrong with Uncle Jesse and I had to find out for myself." In tears, DJ tried to run out of the room, but Danny held her tight.

"You were in my room? You went through my things?" Jesse's voice rose in pitch. Stephanie looked up at him, but she still remained glued to his side.

"Jesse, calm down," said Joey.

"What, is there no such thing as privacy in this house?" Jesse stormed. He tried to push Stephanie away, but she clung to him and gazed up at him, doe-eyed.

"Can you see me, Uncle Jesse?"

"What?" Jesse said. He took off his sunglasses and stared at her. "Of course I can see you. You thought ... you thought I was blind? Where'd you get a crazy idea like -"

DJ walked toward him and held out a flyer. It was entitled "Glaucoma and You." On the back, Jesse had written a list entitled, "Ten things I want to do before I go blind."

A hush fell over the kitchen. Everyone watched Jesse's face grow redder and redder. Finally, he uncrossed his arms, grabbed the proffered list, and stormed to the back door.

Joey blocked his exit. "Jesse, we need to talk about this."

"Get out of my way before I cause you bodily harm." Joey stepped aside and Jesse turned the knob of the door.

"Jesse, please," Danny implored. "We have to talk about this. What the girls did was wrong, but keeping them in the dark was wrong too. They need to hear this from you."

Jesse paused and looked over his shoulder. When Danny shot him a knowing look full of I-told-you-so, Jesse's shoulders drooped. He turned around slowly and sighed. "All right. Okay. Fine," he spat, gesturing to the air. "I'm not going blind. And I don't have glaucoma either."

"Then why -" DJ asked.

"Because I thought I was, okay?" Jesse paced around the kitchen, gesturing with his hands. "I thought I might be going blind and I was really upset and I didn't want anyone to know ..." He stopped abruptly and looked up at a ring of concerned family members. "And I really, really don't want to talk about this," he finished, frowning.

Stephanie looked at her father. "I'm confused."

Danny glanced at Jesse, who was staring at the floor, then turned back to the girls. "When your uncle went to the eye doctor, they found something wrong. He has high pressure readings in his eyes. It's kind of like having high blood pressure. It could hurt his optic nerves." The girls still looked puzzled, so Danny continued. "The eye doctor referred him to a glaucoma specialist. That's where we went today."

"And he said my eyes are fine, end of story," Jesse interrupted.

Danny gave him a hard look. "Your eyes are not fine and that's not the end of the story. Your uncle -" he looked at Jesse pointedly, "- is going back to the eye doctor in three months for follow-up tests. The doctor told us today that he is a glaucoma suspect. That means he could get glaucoma in the future. He needs have his eyes checked regularly in case he develops the disease."

"And then you'll go blind?" Stephanie asked Jesse, her voice small.

Jesse looked down at her and squeezed her shoulders. "No." He gave Danny a reluctant smile. "That's why what your dad did was a good thing, see? He got me to go to the doctor and now they know to watch me, to make sure my eyes are okay. If I get glaucoma now, they can give me drops of medicine to control it. Most people who get glaucoma don't go blind from it."

"But even if Uncle Jesse were to lose his vision, we'd talk about it and we'd work out a way to help him," Danny said. "Because that's what families do. We support one another, especially during hard times." He looked around at his family. When his eyes fell on his oldest daughter, he sighed. "DJ, I'm sorry. I owe you an apology. You're right. When your mother was ..." He took a deep breath, "... dying, I was so upset that I couldn't talk to anybody. I should have found a way to tell you what was happening. That was my fault. But what happened here today is different. You don't need to know every detail of our problems."

Joey added, "Sometimes people need time to think through what's bothering them before they're willing to share their fears with someone else." He ventured a glance at Jesse.

"And some things are private," Jesse stressed, giving Joey a stern gaze in return. He turned to his nieces. "How would you feel if I went snooping through your room?"

DJ shook her head. "I wouldn't like it very much."

"Me, either," replied Stephanie. She moved away from Jesse.

"Even though I understand why you went through your uncle's room, I'm still very disappointed in you girls. You know better than that. Misunderstandings like this are exactly why snooping is such a bad idea," Danny lectured. "Normally, I would punish you, but I think the worry you put yourselves through today was punishment enough."

"I agree," Jesse said, arms folded, but with a hint of compassion in his tone.

"We're sorry, Uncle Jesse," said DJ. Stephanie nodded.

"I forgive you. I'm still mad at you for going through my stuff," he said, "but it's good to know you've got my back." Jesse held his arms out to his nieces and they eagerly stepped into his embrace. He hugged them hard.

"Uncle Jesse," Stephanie whispered. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Me too, kid."

"I love you."

"I love you, too. Now, let's order out for pizza."


End file.
